Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;FIDAYSOFLA&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Fidaysofla’, characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant form; uniform and freely flowering habit; medium-size decorative-type inflorescences with yellow and orange red bi-colored ray florets; early season flowering habit; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘FIDAYSOFLA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a garden Chrysanthemum plant and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fidaysofla’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom. The objective of the breeding program is to create new early season flowering garden Chrysanthemum plants with numerous attractive inflorescences.

The new Chrysanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made in January, 2011 by the Inventor in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 83420, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 83261, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom in September, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by terminal vegetative cuttings was first conducted in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom in December, 2011. Asexual reproduction by terminal vegetative cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fidaysofla’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fidaysofla’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant form.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Medium-size decorative-type inflorescences with yellow and         orange red bi-colored ray florets.     -   6. Early season flowering habit, grown under natural season         conditions, plants flower in mid to late August in the United         Kingdom.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Under natural season conditions, plants of the new         Chrysanthemum flower earlier than plants of the female parent         selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the female parent         selection differ in ray floret color as plants of the female         parent selection have inflorescences with red-colored ray         florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection in ray floret color as plants of the male parent selection have inflorescences with pink and white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Conaco Bronze’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of ‘Conaco Bronze’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Grown under natural season conditions, plants of the new         Chrysanthemum flowered about one month earlier than plants of         ‘Conaco Bronze’.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and ‘Conaco Bronze’ differed         in ray floret color as plants of ‘Conaco Bronze’ had         inflorescences with solid bronze-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum plant. The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fidaysofla’ grown in a 19-cm container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the winter in 19-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom and under cultural practices typical of commercial garden Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures ranged from 17° C. to 21° C. and light levels averaged 6,000 lux. Plants were grown under long day/short night conditions for eight weeks (including propagation period) and then grown under short day/long night conditions to induce inflorescence initiation and development. Plants were 14 weeks old when the photograph and detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Fidaysofla’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum ×morifolium identified as code number 83420,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum ×morifolium identified as code number 83261,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures about 21° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at             temperatures about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically light brown in             color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous decorative-type garden             Chrysanthemum; stems upright to outwardly spreading giving a             uniformly mounded appearance to the plant; numerous lateral             branches and relatively short internodes, dense and full             plant form; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 20 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 31 cm.         -   Main stem diameter.—About 5 mm.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit; about twelve             lateral branches develop after removal of terminal apex             (pinching).         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 14.5 cm. Diameter: About             3 mm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong.             Aspect: About 45° from the main stem and then bending             upwardly. Texture: Fine pubescence. Color: Close to 139D. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 4.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 4.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Palmately-lobed; roughly ovate with three to five             lobes.         -   Apex.—Broadly acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Slightly dentate and palmately lobed; sinuses             between lateral lobes divergent.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Fine pubescence; slightly             rough; veins prominent on lower surface.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 136B.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A; venation,             close to 138B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 138C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Fine pubescence; slightly             rough. Color, upper surface: Close to 138B. Color, lower             surface: Close to 138C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Form and flowering habit.—Decorative-type inflorescence form             with ligulate-shaped ray florets; inflorescences borne on             terminals above and beyond the foliar plane; disc and ray             florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum; freely             flowering habit with about 96 inflorescences developing per             plant.         -   Fragrance.—Mildly fragrant; pungent, herbaceous.         -   Flowering response.—Early season flowering habit, plants             exposed to natural season conditions begin flowering in mid             to late August in the United Kingdom; plants flower             uniformly and continuously.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about three to five weeks on the plant;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 4 mm. Diameter: About             7 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 143A.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.8 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 2 cm.         -   Disc diameter.—About 6 mm.         -   Receptacles.—Height: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Shape: Conical. Color: Close to 145B.         -   Ray florets.—Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About             92 arranged in about six whorls. Orientation: Initially             upright, then about 75° from vertical. Length: About 2.2 cm.             Width: About 7 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Emarginate. Base:             Fused into a short tube. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; double-keeled. Color: When             opening, upper surface: Close to 14A; towards the apex,             close to 46A. When opening, lower surface: Close to N34A;             towards the base, close to 9B. Fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 9C; towards the apex, close to N34A; with             development, color becoming closer to 6B and towards the             apex, close to 34B. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to             9C; towards the apex, flushed with close to 34A; with             development, color becoming closer to 6C and towards the             apex, flushed with close to 34C.         -   Disc florets.—Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 70 massed at the center of the receptacle. Length:             About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Shape: Tubular, elongated;             apices, acute. Texture, inner and outer surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, when opening: Apex: Close to 14A.             Mid-section: Close to 1C. Base: Close to 155B. Color, fully             opened: Apex: Close to 14B. Mid-section: Close to 1B. Base:             Close to 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 20             arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 6 mm. Width:             About 2 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Obtuse.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous;             waxy. Texture, lower surface: Fine pubescence; waxy. Color,             upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to             146B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 2.2 cm.             Diameter, terminal peduncle: About 2 mm. Angle: About 40°             from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong; flexible.             Texture: Densely pubescence. Color: Close to 138B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:             Present only on ray florets. Pistil length: About 4 mm.             Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 14B. Style             length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close to 1B. Ovary color:             Close to 155D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Chrysanthemum plants has not been observed on plants of the new     Chrysanthemum. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good garden performance and to tolerate temperatures     from about 0° C. to about 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Fidaysofla’ as illustrated and described. 